Here We Come A-Wassailing (Waddling, Waffling, etc.)

I'm not sure that I've ever gotten so much into the Christmas spirit away from home so much before this year. This entire week has been one Christmas-y event after another, and it's been great! I am totally loving it. And today has just been the icing on the cake: snow. Today is the first real snow of winter (which i have to keep reminding myself is a good thing . . . not so hard to believe when i'm walking around or inside, but harder to do so when i'm driving in it).

Chuck, the camel, and us touching THE hand that touched Chuck.
(Becky was very excited to have petted him)

Last Saturday, Becky, Esther, and I headed over to the Provo Tabernacle to watch a Living Nativity production put on by a local stake. It was very sweet, very nice to be reminded of why we celebrate this time of year. But I think Becky and Esther were most excited about the animals afterward. Becky was pretty entertaining with how excited she was to pet Chuck, the camel, and Esther decided she would like to steal one of the little goats we were admiring. We probably have room in our backyard to accommodate a single goat, but he'd get pretty lonely, and there's no shelter back there, which would be not-so-warm for the little guy with the change in seasons. So we have a disappointed Esther on our hands instead.

Me and the goat. Cute little guy.

Ward FHE on Monday night was pretty fun. We talked about Christmas traditions for a little bit, and then got to have a shouting match as we played Christmas-themed charades, but had to race between two groups to see who could get it the fastest. Our group's strategy toward the end was just to shout a word and then start cheering at the top of our lungs, but I think the judges saw through that. Oh, well.

I've done a lot of wrapping and baking this week, as well. I finally started receiving gifts that I'm giving to others, and so I've gotten to wrap them and make them pretty. I also decided that it was about time I attempted making sugar cookies without my mother. I think they actually turned out pretty well, and Becky helped me decorate them before I gave them away. Funny anecdote with that: Becky was "taste testing" the cookies, and she said, "Your mother is a genius." Not that I was about to disagree with her, but I was curious why, and she said, "This is a fantastic sugar cookie recipe!" Now it would be nice to let my mother take credit for such a compliment, but alas, that innocent creature, honesty, loomed its pleasing head. "It's Betty Crocker." So, thank you, Betty Crocker, for you are a genius.

Last night, I got a group of people together to go caroling around the neighborhood. It was a smaller group than I originally anticipated, but I was really happy with the result, anyway. We ended up with five people, but we had at least one of each part, and our harmonies worked out really well most of the time. We went to houses that actually have families and older couples in them, so no students/young singles, like in our ward. Totally worth it. There were some really great people we met, and one of the ladies we sang to said we were the best carolers she'd ever heard. (Nice!) The woman at the last house we went to was so thrilled to have carolers and made the comment that no one ever goes caroling anymore. I could see that she was very touched when we sang "Away in a Manger" for her, and that made the whole evening worth it for me. That was why I wanted to go caroling, to make other people feel cheered and joyful and all that Christmas spirit-type stuff.

My caroling group: Lindsey, Liz, Dallin, Mike
Great antlers, Liz.

So, I encourage you all who read this to find people to go caroling with. It's true. People don't really carol anymore. SAD!!! It doesn't take much (and really, the secret is to go to an older person's house, because they'll think you're great no matter how bad you sound!), and it's a great way to spread and feel the joy of the season. (I am such a sap.)

-Me

"Songs about jingling bells, holiday ballets, universal joy, and Christmas snacks!" -Herb, Claymation Christmas